Metacognitive Strategy Knowledge Research Articles

The Relationship between (Meta)cognitive Strategies and Reading Comprehension in Iranian Female L2 Learners

The present study aimed to examine the possible effects of the Iranian elementary female L2 learners’ (meta)cognitive reading strategy knowledge on their reading comprehension in 3 different stages of reading, that is, prereading, while-reading, and postreading phases. In order to control the language proficiency factor, 40 L2 learners were selected through the application of the Oxford Placement Test. The participants belonged to 2 different age groups. Twenty of them were selected from the young people, ranging from 15 to 20 years old. The other 20 participants who comprised the second group were adults, ranging from 35 to 40 years old. The participants completed a reading strategy survey and took a reading comprehension test. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe the respondents’ reading strategy use and their performance on the reading test. The results showed no significant relationship between the young and adult Iranian female L2 learners’ comprehension level and their use of reading strategies. In fact, the data obtained from the young group resulted in a significant relationship between reading comprehension and metacognitive reading strategy use. That is, the more L2 learners employ metacognitive reading strategies, the more their reading comprehension level will be. Besides, the participants of both groups were alike in their perceived use of cognitive reading strategy.

Scaffolding cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction in regular class lessons

The quality of teachers’ knowledge about how people learn influences students’ learning outcomes. Similarly, the quality of students’ knowledge about how they learn influences their engagement in self-regulated learning and consequently, their learning achievement. There is a gap between research findings that support these two premises and teaching–learning practices in classrooms. In this paper we describe attempts to reduce this gap. In Study 1 we surveyed early adolescent students’ cognitive and metacognitive strategy use and demonstrated that students’ cognitive and metacognitive strategy knowledge has substantial room for improvement. In Studies 2 and 3 we collaborated with teachers to embed explicit cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction, using learning protocols, into regular class lessons. Studies 2 and 3 showed that the learning protocols slipped readily into teachers’ typical lesson designs, scaffolded teachers’ delivery of strategy instruction, and scaffolded some students’ acquisition of strategy knowledge, although progress was sometimes slow. Recommendations are presented for supporting teachers and students to engage with cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction.